I'm going to address an issue specific to American TT. The issue is accuracy of models and the discussions around it. And yes, this is specific to American TT - read on to find out why.

Making an accurate model requires several things:1. research2. engineering3. throwing away all limitations of model railroading (if you have curves of less than 12 foot radius, forget accuracy)4. throwing away all manufacturing limitations5. now that you've achieved the above, you have to make sure there are enough people to buy your $10,000 model (because that's how much it will end up being)

The above are obviously extremes but they are there to serve a purpose. Making a prototypical model is NOT easy. The only inexcusable one is point 1 - research. Nothing can overcome bad research.

How and why do the above impact American TT more than European TT or some other scale? Because neither Tillig nor Athearn are making American TT models. So why does that matter? Well it matters because you don't have an entire organization behind a model. There is no research department, there is no engineering department, there is no manufacturing department. But most important of all, there is no economies of scale or the financial backing of a corporation. Oh and let's not forget that there aren't 50,000 guys in line to buy your new model.

So what does that leave us with?

Well, that leaves us with a few individuals who are doing their best to produce something for all of us. That means they are investing their own savings, their own time and, their own effort. All in the hopes of BREAKING EVEN! So when all is said and done, just to get something made within a price point that at least a few people will open their wallets to, they are left with an incredible amount of limitations. More limitations = less prototypicality.

So the rest of us have 3 choices.1. buy the model2. don't buy the model3. discuss what's wrong with the model so no one ends up buying the model

The impact of the above 3 is by scenario:1. good sales - from the manufacturer point of view, this means that making models is practical. Since it's financially viable to do this, it's less of a risk to invest a bit more into the next model (better manufacturing/ more details/ more prototypical). THIS is the scenario we should all be wanting2. there are at least SOME sales. Perhaps enough that a manufacturer is willing to risk producing another model. Or maybe if they made a few foobies, they can break even or make some profit - which would allow them to do another project3. no sales. From a manufacturer's point of view, there is no market in this. No more models - good bye. This will kill any potential for American TT to ever be anything other than scratch building.

What do the above mean for the site?Starting today, if any comment is perceived by myself or the moderators to fit into the 3rd category, it will be deleted with no warning or explanation. Period.

When your favorite big manufacturer starts producing American TT, I will happily join you in scolding them for foobies and general non-prototypicality. Until then, feel free to contact the maker of the model you are unhappy with if you wish and discuss with them how they can make the next model better. But please, for the sake of all of us actually having models to choose from, keep your comments off the board.

If my comments make you unhappy, sorry but that's life.

What people think: "liberals/conservatives are ruining my country"What the powerful know: divide and conquer